Meet Everly - Phoebe Foundation CMN Feature

Meet Everly

Everly Brown was born on November 1, 2016 at Phoebe Putney. Morgan, Everly’s mom, had a normal pregnancy and Everly came right on time. About 20 hours after Everly was born, her Mother Baby nurse noticed Everly was turning blue and had stopped breathing. Everly was rushed to the NICU, where her grandmother, Margaret, has been a nurse for over 20 years. The team quickly found out Everly had Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN). PPHN is a life threatening condition where blood is forced away from the lungs due to high blood pressure in the arteries that go to the lungs, which decreases the body’s supply of oxygen.

Sweet Everly was put on oxygen and nitric oxide for 5 days to combat the PPHN. Everly spent ten days in the NICU and her mother never left her side any time she was allowed to visit Everly. Morgan and Margaret couldn’t be more thankful for the care that Everly received at Phoebe in the Mother Baby Unit and NICU.

“If it wasn’t for our Mother Baby nurse Michelle, we would have lost Everly.” Morgan believes. “I’ve worked in the NICU for over 20 years, but it’s so different when it’s your granddaughter in the unit. I was so proud of my team for taking the best care of Everly.” Margaret explained.

When Everly was 6 months old, she had an MRI that showed she has colpocephaly. Colpocephaly is a congenital brain abnormality in which the occipital horns are larger than normal because white matter in the posterior cerebrum has failed to develop or thicken. Colpocephaly can affect vision, hearing, motor movements, and speech. Everly has shown some delays in these areas, but she’s catching up and doing very well since her time in the NICU. “She’s a fighter!” Morgan told us.

Everly is a happy energetic almost 2-year-old who loves the outdoors, cats, Mickey Mouse, and her big sister! Everly always has a smile on her face and she brings so much joy to her family and friends! We can’t wait to see what this miracle will accomplish as she grows up!

For more information, call Phoebe Foundation at 229-312-4483 or toll-free at 877-312-4483. You can also email Phoebe Foundation at rbmiller@ppmh.org.